Homeless Sweep = Potemkin Village Strategy

De Blasio’s Decision to Try to Play Media for Fools is Cynical and Wrong

Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, the presumptive Republican nominee in the race for mayor, today blasted Mayor Bill de Blasio for his administration’s tactics of ordering a homeless sweep of subway stations that were to be visited by the Mayor during a media event on Sunday. Assemblywoman Malliotakis said that, “The fact that the de Blasio administration would try to play the media and ultimately the citizens of our city for fools, is cynical and wrong.”

Reports in the media claim that prior to a photo-op and ‘rolling new conference’ that took place on Sunday, orders were given for a homeless sweep that would clear both the Jay Street-Borough Hall and the 4th Avenue subway stations of the homeless during Mayor de Blasio’s visit.

Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis said, “Bill de Blasio took his series of election year stunts to a whole new level when the NYPD was instructed to clear the homeless from 2 subway stations that the Mayor and his entourage visited on Sunday while staging a ‘rolling news conference’ through the subways in Brooklyn.

“The fact that the de Blasio administration would try to play the media and ultimately the citizens of our city for fools, is cynical and wrong. The vast majority of New Yorkers are street smart and know a scam when they see one; and boy, was City Hall running a scam!

“Mayor de Blasio and his staff need to stop playing the denial game, the taxpayers of this city deserve transparency; they have a right to know who ordered the homeless sweep. It’s no wonder that members of the NYPD are afraid to go on the record about these orders; they’ve all read reports about how Ricardo Morales, a top deputy at the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), was fired when he raised concerns about the intervention of City Hall in a DCAS matter and they fear similar retribution.

“For the longest time Bill de Blasio downplayed the homeless crisis and now, with a record number of homeless on our streets and in our shelters, City Hall decides to employ a ‘Potemkin Village’ strategy to prevent Mayor de Blasio from crossing paths with the homeless as he plays the role of a straphanger in a made for the media event.

“If Mayor de Blasio had real compassion and cared for the homeless he and his staff wouldn’t have initiated the sweep. He would have left the homeless where they were and stopped to talk to them, so he could find out about their problems and conditions in city run shelters. Once again, Bill de Blasio has proven, that it’s all about Bill de Blasio and not about the people and the problems of New York City.”

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, the Republican nominee or mayor, will hold a news conference at 10:00 am on Monday, August 14th on the steps of City Hall. Assemblywoman Malliotakis will release her Treatment B4 Crisis Plan to help New York City’s mentally ill. WHO: Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis WHERE: The steps of New York’s City Hall WHEN: […]